Board President Gene Katsanis, who was asked by the board to come back with a recommendation, said he considered several other attorneys for the job, including Harahan City Councilman Vinny Mosca and John Litchfield, who recently helped clear board member Libby Moran of an ethics allegation. But Katsanis said Rosenberg was the best choice because he's "completely independent" and has no personal connections with board members or district officials.

Times-PicayuneHarry Rosenberg
"I think that is what we need, because independence will give us more credibility among ourselves and among the employees and the general public," Katsanis said. "I think that is extremely important, that we have that credibility established going into this."

The board voted 5-1 to hire Rosenberg, with board member Etta Licciardi voting against the measure and board member Mark Morgan abstaining, citing the fact that he's involved in the investigation. Board members Ray St. Pierre and Glenn Hayes were absent.

The investigation was prompted by a disagreement between Morgan and Superintendent Diane Roussel over the hiring of two police officers to monitor Gretna No. 2 Academy, Ruppel Academy and Thomas Jefferson High School, all of which are in Morgan's district.

Morgan said Roussel approved his request to hire the officers and install them at the three magnet schools. Roussel said she never approved his request. And board members have said the hiring took place without board approval.

While Morgan abstained from voting, he questioned the selection process and urged board members to get an attorney general's opinion on the matter, rather than going through a private attorney. He asked Katsanis a series of questions about the process involved in selecting Rosenberg. Katsanis answered Morgan's initial questions but refused to respond after several minutes.

"I've answered your questions. I've given you reasons," Katsanis said. "I'm not going to be cross-examined."

Morgan also accused Katsanis of silencing him inappropriately at the last regular board meeting and attempting to "influence" the investigation.

"I believe Katsanis' role in this is biased," Morgan said. "And I believe the right answer is to appoint the attorney general to do an investigation because he can't be biased and he's free."

But board attorney Michael Fanning said he had checked with the attorney general's office, and an assistant there told him they would not handle the case.

Board member Judy Colgan said any concerns about the process implemented to appoint outside attorneys should have been discussed prior to Tuesday's meeting.

"It puzzles me that we're even having this discussion," Colgan said. "This should've come up at the last meeting, or the meeting before. But certainly not today."

Licciardi emerged as Morgan's lone ally, saying Katsanis never mentioned Rosenberg's name to her in advance of Tuesday's meeting to see if she had personal connections to the attorney. Licciardi made a substitute motion, asking the attorney general's office to step in and investigate, but her motion failed to win a second.

Rosenberg, a partner at the New Orleans law firm Phelps Dunbar, will be paid $175 per hour, a standard rate set by the state attorney general's office, officials said.